At first glance, you’d think that yoga ought to be quite cheap. Available for all, it is known as “therapy for the poor.”

There is no equipment involved. You don’t need a tremendous amount of space or expensive facility and with so many gyms offering yoga these days, you’d think that competition would be driving prices down, not up. Ironically however yoga classes are becoming ridiculously expensive and some soul seekers are beginning to think of yoga as a luxurious lifestyle, something that is out of line with the spirit of yoga.

Yoga was developed in India some 5,000 years ago by ancient wise men called rishis. These rishis were not interested in getting tight abs, losing weight, eliminating back pain, or even relieving their stress. Rather they were creating a method of using the body and breath to tame the wildest of beasts, the mind.

Yoga is a Sanskrit word that can be roughly translated as ‘union’ or ‘yoking’; it is a noun and a verb, a state of being, and the actions and the practices associated with attaining that state.

The state of yoga is one in which the practitioner is no longer at the mercy of the endless spinning of the mind and instead experiences deep awareness of and an identification with a consciousness much greater than the individual ego.

The practice of yoga focuses on the concrete and practical aspects of the techniques designed to evoke this enlightened state: the quality of the breath, the pressure of our feet when standing, the sensation of the stretching along the backs of our legs in a forward bend, and the tenor of the thoughts that flow through the mind while we move from one pose to another.

Patanjali’ s Yoga Sutras, a scripture some have likened to the Bible of Yoga, says it best right up front, in verse I.2 : yoga citta vritti nirodha, or “Yoga is the resolution of the agitations of the mind.” Only when our minds become calm and quiet, he says, can we reap the true fruits of practice which include equanimity, love, compassion and joy.

All that being said, yoga is an endless ongoing practice that is complex, spiritual and personal but has become wrapped up in the physical practice, asana, which is only one-eighth of the path to enlightenment.

I thought that by religiously attending my yoga practice 3 times a week at the studio on the street corner I was making my way to truth and inner peace. But it appears this isn’t the case. I also thought that all this information was available for anyone who wish to find that inner peace and for free.

In some ways yes,the asana is the gateway to self discipline and in this moving meditation practice a beginning is found in emotions buried deep inside our bodies. The asana is the gateway And I leave you with a quot:

“Practice, Practice, Practice, and all is coming,” taken from the words of Guruji Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009).

Photo credits: barefootyoga.com, 123rf.com

Leila has been teaching yoga passionately in both Doha, Qatar (the Gulf region) and Beirut, Lebanon (Middle East). She returned a year ago to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire (West Africa), her place of birth; Lebanese and French, but born in the city of Abidjan, where she still has family. It was natural to come back and spread the yoga buzz in a land that has been through so much suffering in the past 10 or so years. She recently inaugurated Lila Yoga Abidjan, a shala in the middle of the crazy city of Abidjan, where she is teacher, manager and director. Check out her website for further information.

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2229093 Responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F2011%2F10%2Fyoga-a-luxury-practice-is-it-worth-all-that-money-leila-hassen%2FYoga+%E2%80%93+a+luxury+practice%3F+Is+it+worth+all+that+money%3F+%7E+Leila+Hassen2011-10-02+06%3A00%3A17elephant+journalhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.elephantjournal.com%2F%3Fp%3D222909 to “Yoga – a luxury practice? Is it worth all that money? ~ Leila Hassen”

Hi Leila! Your title poses a good question that I think can be answered based on intention. Is it worth the money to practice asana at a studio with a teacher 3x a week? Yes, if it develops your intention with Yoga on the grand scale. If it helps you develop a personal practice. If it is conducive to your path, whatever it may be. I have to ask you…practicing 3x a week at your studio on the corner…did it serve as a part of your path? Is it part of what brought you to this awareness? Was it a part of you "making your way" to grace and inner peace, at some point?

You are right, all this information is available to anyone. But sometimes it helps to have a teacher. A studio maybe. Guides. Gurus. Whatever. Sometimes those things cost money. The means are worth the progression of the intent.

Thank you Yogiclarebear for your comment-
The article actually got edited but i did dwell on how the practice of Yoga (asanas) is the first introduction to what is YOGA- the state of Yoga- although the asana is the 3rd limb- it is the first step towards being YOGA – and so the answer to my question is so simple: YES- worth every penny!
I have been introduced to yoga by pure coincidence -out of boredum- so i thought! it turned out to be the unconscious solution to find my way!
yoga- worth the distances- worth the money- worth the effort- it is all in the intention- practice practice practice!